An electrical connector assembly generally includes a connector and a wire bundle. The wire bundle may be a wire, cable or similar conductor that is inserted into a connector. Prior art connectors have been molded with a wire clamp attached thereto, or a separate wire clamp may be attached to the connector. The wire clamp is intended to provide strain relief to the wire bundle, which can effectively withstand a withdrawal force acting on the wire bundle to prevent a separation of leads of the wire bundle from contacts contained within the connector.
The connector may generally include a housing and a number of contacts fixed within the housing. The wire bundle has a number of leads extending into the housing and connected to the contacts. The wire clamp, either connected to the housing or attached thereto, transmits a withdrawal force exerted on the wire bundle to the housing of the connector, rather than directly to the wire bundle, thereby preventing a separation of leads of the wire bundle from the contacts contained within the connector.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,483,579 discloses an electrical connector having plug part and a wire clamp attached thereto. The wire clamp includes a clamping yoke. The clamping yoke is provided in two halves that are assembled by screws. When the yoke is assembled around a wire bundle, the yoke secures the wire bundle to the connector. However, this connector has multiple parts that increase cost, and has multiple assembly requirements that allow for parts to become lost during assembly. The disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 4,483,579 is incorporated by reference in the entirety herein.
In general, prior wire clamp systems have only been able to consistently achieve a secure connection to a wire bundle and housing to provide effective strain relief effective to withstand a withdrawal force when using small hardware such as screws and inserts that easily become lost during assembly. Additionally, prior wire clamp assemblies often require numerous parts that increase cost and complexity of the connector. Therefore, there is a need for a wire clamp assembly and a connector having a wire clamp assembly that can provide stain relief to a wire bundle to prevent separation from the connector contacts that is inexpensive and simple to use.